Ocean Dead Zones: One of the largest dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico

This article is written with the sole intention to apprise people of what we as humans are doing to nature, because of which we are only digging up problems for ourselves for a grave future.

Firstly, what do you construe when you read this word, Ocean Dead Zone?

Some place which is not viable for habitation, right?? Yes, you agree. Well, Dead Zone in an Ocean means parts of oceans or large lakes which have been depleted of oxygen, thus making it unviable for any aquatic life to survive. It is also termed as Hypoxic Zones, reduced Oxygen Levels to sustain aquatic life form. Thus, making it a biological desert

Factors affecting Dead Zones

Physical, Chemical and Biological factors team up to create Ocean Dead Zones but primarily it’s the excessive nutrient pollution created by Us, Humans.

How does it occur?

It occurs because of a process called Eutrophication. It happens when a body of water gets an excessive amount of phosphorus and nitrogen. In normal cases, these nutrients help in the growth of an organism called Cyanobacteria or Blue Green Algae. But with the excess amount of phosphorus and nitrogen, there is an overgrowth of these algae. These organisms are not good for zooplankton and fish. Hence, they accumulate in water and die. Thus leading to decomposition in water and this process consumes oxygen and depletes the supply of oxygen for marine life. Thus creating a dead zone

One of the largest dead zones forms in the Gulf of Mexico, every spring.

How are we responsible for creating Ocean Dead Zones?

We as humans have evolved in each and every field, be it technology, science, and agriculture but depressingly we have not been able to conserve Mother Nature in the form it was.

Due to our negligence and rash use of harmful chemicals

It has lead to Global Warming and Climate change which is one of the major factors for creating Dead Zone

Increased use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides are also one of the major causes of these Dead Zones

Run Off from Sewage and Lanfills also contributes to Ocean Dead Zones

The burning of Gasoline produces Smog, which causes Acid Rain, which contains the high amount of nitrogen oxide thus entering water bodies.

One thought on “Ocean Dead Zones: One of the largest dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico”

A suggestion to reduce the size of the dead zone in the GOM is to reduce or eliminate ethanol additives to gasoline. The impact on CO2 emissions due to ethanol addition is very questionable and may be zero. Most of the ethanol production comes from corn grown in the watershed of the Mississippi river, which drains into the Gulf and is postulated to have enlarged the dead zone.